Kyohi
by Gingeh
Summary: “You know,” Keiichiro remarked casually. “In elementary school, when a boy likes a girl, he shows it by making fun of her.” Ryou choked on his drink. -RxI-


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**Kyohi  
**_A Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic  
By Gingeh, who owns a dog. Not a cat, bird, porpoise, monkey, wolf, or any other animal/thing related to TMM_

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The sun outside was sweltering, but within the Mew Mew Cafe, it was pleasantly cool. Shirogane Ryou sat in a chair at a table near the window, sipping a fruit concoction created by the dark-haired man sitting across from him. The two were alone, the café closed, as no one was quite willing to brave the heat to venture out of their homes, even for delicious sweets.

Keiichiro leaned against the table with a heavy sigh. "I'll admit, I like a break every once in a while. It's nice. But this? This is a bit much. Ryou, we haven't had a customer for three days. Even Ichigo hasn't been able to brave this heat wave. She was going to help me test my newest creation."

"A fact which I, personally, am grateful for." Ryou swirled the liquid in his cup. "I don't know if I could take a full argument with Strawberry in this weather."

"You know," Keiichiro remarked casually. "In elementary school, when a boy likes a girl, he shows it by making fun of her."

Ryou choked on his drink.

Keiichiro patted him gently on the back when he started coughing. "It's okay. I don't think anyone else has made that connection between you and Ichigo yet."

Ryou, eyes wide, managed to croak out a, "No way in hell!"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Keiichiro grinned. "But you're going to have to be a lot less subtle. Ichigo has many wonderful qualities, but she…doesn't catch on very quickly."

Ryou continued to stare, flabbergasted, as Keiichiro sipped his coffee. "There is _no way_ I l…l…_like_, the Strawberry! I tease her because it's fun, and because she makes it too easy."

Keiichiro raised an eyebrow. "Are you in denial? I never thought you were the type."

"I am _not _in denial! I just don't like her!"

"Are you worried about the age difference? Because that's really not a big deal. Ichigo is very mature for her age."

Ryou stared at him, wide eyed, for a moment, before busting out laughing. "You think _she's_ mature? Keiichiro, who have you been hanging out with lately? Elementary schoolers?"

"Laugh all you want, but you can't deny that when it comes right down to it, Ichigo can handle things in a very grown-up manner."

"Really?" He wiped away a few tears from his eyes, still chuckling slightly. "Is throwing a temper tantrum considered 'adult' nowadays? Or growing cat ears?"

Keiichiro rolled his eyes. "I shouldn't have to explain this to you, Ryou."

"You're only saying that because you _can't _explain it."

"No, that's not why –"

"Look, Keiichiro," Ryou's expression suddenly turned serious. "I don't like her. I've never liked her. I never _will _like her. End of discussion."

"But–"

"Akasaka-san!"

The doors to the cafe opened, letting in a wave of heat and a dripping Ichigo. "Akasaka-san! I made it! I poured ice-water on myself before I left the house so I could get here!"

"Speak of the devil," Ryou mumbled. Ichigo bounced up to the table, scowling at him.

"I heard that!"

He snapped his fingers sarcastically. "Darn. And I'd so hoped you wouldn't."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You're so aggravating!"

"A four syllable word?" He gasped. "Congratulations, Strawberry, you're getting better! Why, tomorrow you may even be able to spell your name!"

"That's so mean! For information, I spell my name perfectly well!"

"Oh, so you learned yesterday?"

"Ooh! I hate you!"

"Likewise, I'm sure."

"Why do you always have a comeback?" She complained. "I bet you think of them in the middle of the night and write them down so you'll always have some to use against me."

"No, I'm just intelligent, like the rest of the human race. You can't keep up with me because you've got strawberries for brains."

She growled, kicking at his shin. He quickly moved his foot out of the way. "Close, but your reflexes are as slow as your mind."

"They are not!"

"So you admit your mind is slow?"

"That's not what I said!"

"Oh, but it was." He grinned.

"Yes–but–I–not…ARGH!"

She stood up, eyes flashing. "I'll come back later, Akasaka-san, after _he _leaves!"

She turned and stomped out the door, grumbling under her breath. Ryou smiled satisfactorily, casually returning his legs to their previous position. "So, what were we talking about?"

He heard a chuckle, and he looked up to find Keiichiro _smirking_ at him. He felt his ears go red. "What?" he asked testily.

"You're proving my point."

With great trepidation, Ryou asked, "What point?"

"The point of you liking Ichigo, of course."

"That's a stupid point."

"Not if you continue proving it, it's not."

He opened and shut his mouth a few times, and then sighed, standing. "I'm going to go work on the computer for a bit."

"Good luck!" Keiichiro called cheerfully after him as he walked away. "I'll bring you down a snack a little bit later."

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"So, have you told her yet?"

Ryou looked up from his meal. It was Thursday, the heat wave was finally over. He and Keiichiro were at a nearby restaurant for their lunch break. "Told who what?"

Keiichiro sighed. "You two will never get anywhere at this rate."

Ryou groaned. "Are you talking about me and Ichigo again?"

"It makes sense, when you think about it."

"There is no way anything that completely incomprehensible could possibly make any sense."

"But it does!" Keiichiro held up a finger. "You see, when you tease her, it signifies the attraction of the organ in your chest to her femalus genus, a psychological situation within the right portion of you brain, generally associated with hormones . Within these, the-"

"You're making all this up." Ryou remarked dryly.

"…Well, maybe some of it." Keiichiro admitted. "But just because I'm making it up doesn't mean it isn't true."

"Yes, it does."

"Just admit you like her."

"WHAT!!" The loud screech came from above their heads, and, about two seconds later, Purin dropped down from the rafters into one of the other seats at their booth, breathing heavily and drawing stares from the entire restaurant.

"You…you _like_ someone, Shirogane-san?"

"No!" Ryou said instantly.

"Yes!" Keiichiro replied, just as quickly. Ryou glared at him.

Purin looked back and forth between the two of them. "So…which is it?"

"He likes someone, but he won't admit it because she's younger them him."

"Keiichiro!" Ryou yelled. "That's _not _it!"

"What are you guys talking about?"

The new voice surprised all of them, and as one they spun towards it. After a moment of silence, Purin grinned. "Hi, Retasu…did you come here for lunch too?"

"Um, no..." She played with the ends of her braids. "I came here for lunch yesterday and forgot my textbook for English class here, and since I'll need it tomorrow, I came back for it. But, I wouldn't mind having lunch here…if it's not too much trouble…"

Taking the hint, Keiichiro slid over in the booth and patted the seat next to him. She smiled at him gratefully, and sat down. "So, um…what were you talking about?"

"Well…" Keiichiro said uncomfortably. It was well known that Retasu had a crush on Ryou. That is, well known to everyone but Ryou himself. And Purin, because she was oblivious to everything. "We were discussing whether or not Ryou is interested in this…girl we know."

"I do _not_ like her. Get it through your head, Keiichiro."

"Yes, you do. It's psychological."

"_You're _psychological."

"Oh," Retasu said, brows pinching together for a minute. "Why do you think he likes this girl, Akasaka-san?" She pulled a notebook and pencil out of her book bag.

"Because he treats her differently from other girls," Keiichiro explained. "Instead of acting polite and suave like her _normally_ does, he picks on her until she explodes. Like in elementary school, when a boy likes a girl, he calls her names and pulls her pigtails and steals her lunch. It's the same concept."

"I tease her because it's _fun_, not because I like her!" Ryou stabbed at his plate angrily. "How many times do I have tell you?"

"How many times do _I _have to tell _you_ that you're in denial?" Keiichiro retorted. "You don't have to be, you know. It's perfectly alright to like her, even if she is a little bit younger."

"How much younger?" Retasu asked, pencil poised.

Keiichiro looked at Ryou, who sighed. "Junior high school," he replied reluctantly. "She's a second year."

For a moment, Retasu and Purin just stared at him. "Say that again," whispered Retasu.

Ryou scowled. "She's thirteen."

Retasu's eyes rolled back into her head, and she fainted.

"Ryou!" Purin gasped. "You have a LOLITA COMPLEX!?"

Keiichiro quickly covered Purin's mouth with his hand. "Shh! You'll make him more embarrassed, and he'll never confess! …How do you even know what a Lolita complex is?"

Ryou was purple with rage. "I do _not _like her, I'm _not_ confessing, and _I do not have a Lolita complex_!"

He stood up abruptly and stalked out the door, trying to ignore the stares and whispers of those who'd overhead.

Purin shook her head after him. "I'm glad I'm not living in denial. It looks painful."

Keiichiro nodded agreement, and the two of them together began to haul the unconscious Retasu to Café Mew Mew.

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Late that night, Ryou finally put his laptop away with a sigh. After grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen, he made it to his bedroom and sank gratefully into his mattress.

After a moment of thought, he reached under his pillow and removed a piece of paper. He stared at it, and whispered to himself, "I am _not_ in denial."

He carefully returned the object to its place, pulled up the covers, and turned off the light. Slipping beneath his notice, the piece of paper floated out from under his head to land softly on the floor. The smiling face of Momomiya Ichigo watched him fall asleep.

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_Owari_

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**Authoress Note:**

Yay! Tokyo Mew Mew again! ...Actually, this was originally a Sailor Moon fic _(which is why Akasaka-san is a little OOC - he used to be Motoki)_. But then I realized I was seeing Ichigo and Ryou instead of Usagi and Mamoru, and thus, this was born! _-applaudes self- _I hope you enjoyed it :). And yes, I _am _still working on Strangeness Ensues, but I'm having a little trouble with writers block _-dramatic music-_. It should hopefully be out by the end of January.

Oh, for those of you who care, the title of this story means 'denial' _(shocker, I know)_, in Japanese.

_Edit: _I got an anonymous review (a wonderful one :D), asking how old Ryou was if the age difference was old enough to make Retasu faint. Well, in the anime, Ryou's age is never mentioned, annoying as that is. However, we know he's in highschool, and we know he's old enough to own a business. We also know he can drive, and the legal age to do that in Japan is eighteen. And, if a five-year age difference isn't to make her fall unconscious, we can pretend she thought the thirteen-year-old girl he was talking about was her ;P

_Another edit: _Thanks to two very helpful reviews, Ryou's age is a confirmed **fifteen**. So, since the age difference is only two years, we'll pretend Purin was exaggerating a little with the lolita complex, and that Retasu thought he was talking about her, which is why she fainted.

Please **review**, or else the evil plot bunnies of doom will nibble your toes off at night! Muahahahaha!

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